THE BELFAST HARP ORCHESTRA 1992 - 2002
Founded and Directed by Janet Harbison

After an initial concert in 1988 to commemorate the Belfast Harpers’ Festival of 1792, the Belfast Harp Orchestra was launched with a concert tour of Ireland (22 concerts) and a top feature at the World Harp Festival, Belfast in May 1992 sharing the opening concert of the festival with the traditional Irish group, the Chieftains, and the closing concert with Breton rock harper Alain Stivel. Immediately, the orchestra was ’adopted’ by the Chieftains and over the next two years, toured extensively with them in Ireland, to London and the US where they performed in the Kennedy Centre in Washington and Carnegie Hall, New York. They also recorded the album "The Celtic Harp" (with RCA Victor) which won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Music Album 1993.

The Belfast Harp comprised between 20 and 26 harpers with other guest musicians, singers and dancers and the member ages were mostly 12 to 16 years. Over the 10 years of its existence, many careers of today's top harpers were launched (including Michael Rooney (also brother and sister Fionnuala and Aonghus), Grainne Hambly (and sister Roisin), Paul Dooley, Padraigin Caesar (and sister Siobhan), Una Monaghan, Lucy Kerr, Barbara Haugh, Deirdre Macklin).

Discography of the Belfast Harp Orchestra:
The Belfast Harp Orchestra (1992)
The Celtic Harp (RCA Victor, with The Chieftains, 1993)
The Belfast Harp Orchestra - Live in Downpatrick (1993)
The Belfast Harp Orchestra - Carillon (1994)
The Belfast Harp Orchestra - Colmcille (1996)
Celtic Harpestry (Polygram) - The Belfast Harp Orchestra (1997)

TV recordings include:
The Belfast Suite (Harbison) with flautist James Galway (BBC NI)
BBC Young Musician of the Year 1998, interval feature (22 minutes)
The Millennium Celebration Live from Belfast with singer Brian Kennedy (BBC)
 

Click here for The Story of the Belfast Harp Orchestra.